remain two years in grass, thus:-1st year, a fallow or green crop, manured; 2nd year, corn; 3rd year, sown grasses; 4th year, pasture; 5th year, corn crop, generally oats or barley. This rotation is less severe upon the land than the four-years' course, and, requiring less manure, is better adapted to soils of inferior quality: but it does not yield so great a produce as the fouryears' course; and, therefore, where the soil, or the command of sand, sea-weed, lime, marl, chalk, or other manures admits of it, the latter may properly be preferred.

In other cases, the five-years' course will probably be found the best; and in this course, wherever the soil is suited to the production of green crops, the first crop of the rotation should be of that kind; but when the land is not suited to the production of green crops, or when, from previous mismanagement or other cause, a naked sumrr-fallow is necessary, then the fallow may supers the green crop in the first year of the

series.

The land being allowed to remain two years in grass, makes the five-years' course very suitable to soils of an inferior order; but it is nevertheless often found necessary, when the soil is very poor, or much exhausted by over-cropping, to allow it a longer rest; in which case the land, instead of two, remains three or even four or more years under grass.

Where the land will not bear a frequent return of the clover crop, the following rotation has been found to answer, on heavy clay lands:-1st year, winter or early tares, to be fed by sheep, and followed by turnips and rape, to be likewise sheep-fed; 2nd year, wheat; 3rd year, clover on one-half, with trefoil and rye-grass mixed on the other half, to be fed by sheep and followed by spring-tares; 4th year, wheat; 5th year, winter-beans. In the next course, clover takes place of trefoil and rye-grass, and vice versa, so that the clover crop will return only once in ten years, which is sometimes an advantage. The change may still be extended by occasionally substituting mangel-wurzel, potatoes, carrots, or cabbages, for turnips; but attention must be paid to the condition of the land, and manure should be given to it when necessary. If chalk can be obtained, it

may always be applied with advantage upon stiff clay soils to almost any extent.

The four and the five years' courses, above given, are suited to a great extent of land in Great Britain and Ireland; but the richer clays, and lighter loams of the better class, admit of a more extended and varied range of cultivation. The particular crop to be raised, often depends upon local circumstances, and it will be easy to extend the course so as to include any number or variety of additional crops.

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Let it be supposed that the land is strong clay, and not in so foul a state, as to require a naked summerfallow. The course may then be-1st year, fallow crop, manured; 2nd year, wheat; 3rd year, sown grasses, generally for hay or green forage; 4th year, oats; 5th year, beans, manured; 6th year, barley or wheat. This is an excellent course where the soil is sufficiently strong, and does not require rest in pasture. Under this rotation it will be seen that two-thirds of the farm are under exhausting crops, and one-third in summer-fallow and restorative crop.

A slight variation may occasionally be made in this course, without departing from correct principle, namely -1st year, fallow crop, manured; 2nd year, wheat; 3rd year, beans; 4th year, barley or wheat; 5th year, sown grasses; 6th year, oats. But this rotation may be made less exhausting, by allowing the land to remain two years in grass, when the course becomes-1st year, fallow crop, manured; 2nd year, wheat; 3rd year, sown grasses; 4th year, grass; 5th year, oats; 6th year, beans; 7th year, barley or wheat. In which case we have three-sevenths in the restorative crops, and foursevenths under exhausting crops.

When the soil is light and friable, and even with stiff clays, if they are not extremely foul, a naked fallow may always be dispensed with. Fallow crops rightly managed, with a due alternation of other crops, will keep down weeds, and prevent the necessity for a naked fallow.

The following rotation has been recommended for

light loamy and sandy soils:-1st year, green crop drilled, (as turnips, potatoes, mangel-wurzel, or the like,) manured; 2nd year, wheat or barley; 3rd year, sown grasses; 4th year, oats; 5th year, peas or beans, manured; 6th year, barley or wheat.

Under this course two-thirds are exhausting crops, and one-third restorative crops; but this rotation requires a good soil. It may, however, be rendered less severe, by allowing the land to remain two years in grass, in which case the course becomes-1st year, green crop, manured; 2nd year, wheat or barley; 3rd year, sown grasses for green forage or hay; 4th year, grass for pasture; 5th year, oats; 6th year, beans or peas, manured; 7th year, barley or wheat.

We have in this case three-sevenths in restorative crops, and four-sevenths in exhausting crops, in which respect this rotation appears to be inferior to the fouryears' course; but it is superior to it in this, that the crops are more varied; and if wheat be only taken once in the rotation, it will fulfil the rule, that two crops of the same kind should return at intervals as distant as possible from each other.

The following six-course rotation has been found to answer extremely well in Ireland :-1st year, potatoes, mangel-wurzel, or turnips, manured; 2nd year, wheat or oats; 3rd year, flax; 4th year, clover; 5th year, grass; 6th year, oats. This course gives six crops for one manuring; and clover always answers after flax, which is a great object to the agriculturist.

But if a crop of flax is not desired, a five-course rotation may be adopted, as follows:-1st year, turnips, mangel-wurzel, or potatoes, manured; 2nd year, beans; 3rd year, barley; 4th year, clover; 5th year, oats or wheat.

The several courses above given, will serve to show the system of rotations applicable to British husbandry. These rotations have all been proved, and they are all capable of being advantageously reduced to practice; and each may form the basis of other courses, where crops not here enumerated are desired to be introduced.

GRAIN CROPS.

The grain crops chiefly raised in this country are wheat, barley, oats, and rye; but before we proceed with particular directions as to the mode of management suitable for each, we will briefly notice a few of the depredations to which these crops, and more especially wheat, are exposed in different stages of their growth, first by insects, and then by birds.

The wheat-fly, and the Hessian or American fly, are both very destructive to wheat. These insects appear early in summer, and deposit their eggs on the young heads of corn. In the course of a week or ten days the eggs produce caterpillars, which feed upon the young grain, causing the head to shrink and shrivel. They then fall to the ground, and bury themselves beneath the surface.

The wire-worm commits great ravages on the wheat crops, and it has been calculated that as much as sixty thousand acres of wheat, are annually injured or destroyed by it in England.

The slug is very destructive to young wheat, eating through the stem, and destroying the plant. The slugs are most abundant in spring, and applications of salt, saltpetre, quick-lime, and lime-water, will generally be found efficacious in preventing their ravages. A single drop of lime-water will kill the slug.

It is supposed by many persons that crows, rooks, and other birds, consume and injure the corn crops; but this is in a great measure a mistake. The field-birds generally feed upon worms and insects, and the crows in particular are ever active in picking up slugs, and clearing the ground of caterpillars, and other enemies of the farmer.

The owl is a most indefatigable mouser, both in the field and homestead, and ought to be protected and cherished wherever he takes up his abode.

The rooks are eminently useful to the farmer, for they feed, during a great part of the year, on the grubs and slugs which bury themselves in the earth, and de

vour the roots of the plants. These the rooks, with their strong bills, dig up and devour; and thus confer a great benefit on the husbandman, whilst catering for their own support.

The crow feeds on grubs like the rook, and is similarly useful. He is a watchful sentinel, and keeps most other birds at bay; and if he occasionally digs holes in your turnips, it is done in search of the grubs, which would else do you greater mischief.

The magpie, the jackdaw, and the jay, likewise feed on insects, and are therefore not without their use to the farmers.

Among the small birds, the finches will certainly assert their claim to a share of the farmer's turnip-seed; but they will also consume the seeds of the charlock and the thistle, and will be often seen with a caterpillar in their bill. Indeed nearly all the birds which visit us in summer, come in search of the insect tribes, on which they feed; and which, but for these birds, would become so numerous as to be unbearable. This does not, however, apply to the sparrow, which is an impudent thief, and is constantly plundering the farmer, who should omit no opportunity of destroying him.

Polecats, stoats, and weazels, destroy mice, and are valuable guards to the stack-yard; although they are dangerous to the poultry, which should be kept out of

their reach.

We will now describe the mode of cultivation applicable to each of the grain crops, premising only that the rule which has been before laid down, namely, that two grain crops are never to be taken in succession off the same land, applies alike to all. This is in fact the foundation of all good husbandry, and must be invariably adhered to by every farmer who wishes to make the most of his land.

WHEAT.

Wheat, is the most valuable of all the grains, and its varieties are very numerous. In general, the fine white